Carly Dunbar’s son Joshua was found unresponsive on his eighth birthday after a helium balloon accident
Monde Mwitumwa TV and Celebrity Reporter
12:03, 20 May 2026Updated 12:04, 20 May 2026
Carly and Jamie’s son died on his eighth birthday after inhaling a helium balloon(Image: ITV)
A grieving mother has shared the devastating moment she discovered her 8-year-old son unresponsive.
Joshua was celebrating his eighth birthday at his home in Birkenhead when tragedy struck. Joshua tragically died on his eighth birthday in what has been described as ‘the most tragic of accidents’. The young boy was discovered lifeless in his bedroom with a number eight-shaped balloon covering his head on 27 April 2024.
Following his emergency admission to the hospital, a post-mortem examination determined that Joshua’s death was “consistent with asphyxia involving a helium balloon”.
Speaking about the harrowing incident, Carly and husband Jamie featured on Tuesday’s (20 May) episode of This Morning, reports the Mirror.
Recalling the moments leading up to the tragedy, Carly told hosts Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard: “He (Joshua) went upstairs and took the balloon with him. I came up after him and went and had a little chat with him, he was just sat up on his bed with the balloon, watching the TV – nice and calm.”
Carly and Jamie’s son died on his eighth birthday after inhaling a helium balloon(Image: ITV)
Visibly emotional, she continued: “I told him his dad (Jamie’s dad) would be up and going to put all his presents away. And then his dad came up, literally minutes later…”
Jamie jumped in: “I said bye to my dad at night and then came up and found him. At first, I’d seen the balloon, half-deflated.
“It took me a split second to realise Joshua was lying down with the balloon over his head, so I had to get him off his bed and physically ripped the balloon off him.”
Choking back tears, Carly went on, “The pain is still as raw as the minute I heard Jamie scream, when he found him. I just, you know, when you have that feeling as her parents and I just feel like that scream.. That will never leave me.”
She went on: “I’d run in the bedroom, and I’d just seen Joshua quite, well, lifeless. I’ve just panicked and run outside screaming at the neighbours for help.
Joshua was celebrating his eighth birthday at his Birkenhead home when tragedy struck(Image: Family handout)
“So the ambulance paramedics came in and worked on Joshua in the house. Then the air ambulance came. But he was so poorly he had to go by the fastest route.
“So it was like a big rush of all doctors and nurses, and they were all around his bed trying to do CPR, and I’m trying to bring him back. They were amazing, they tried their best, but we just had to say goodbye to him.”
Carly and Jamie are now spearheading a campaign to ban the sale of helium balloons. Jamie stated, “We want to get it out there. The message, the awareness.”
He further noted, “Even if that doesn’t happen, just to make people aware that the danger is often because we never know. It’d always put balloons or other children’s birthdays before.”
For emotional support you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email [email protected], visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.
This Morning airs weekdays from 10am on ITV1 and ITVX
